Last year Lisa and I experienced Creep LA: Entry. It was our first interactive theater event and we loved it. It was one of the coolest experiences we've ever had. Earlier this year we got invited to experience the Willows, which was also created and produced by the twisted minds of Creep LA. Although the Willows was a completely different experience, it was just as enjoyable. So when we found out about Creep LA's newest creation Lore, based on the Amazon Prime Podcast of the same name, we had to go. We had to see what the Creep crew came up with this time. This will be our complete honest review of Lore without giving anything away, if that makes any sense. So sit back, relax and enjoy our story of our Lore experience. Without spoilers.
On Tuesday night, October 3rd, Lisa and I drove down to the Reef on S. Broadway in Los Angeles for our 7:00pm reservation. We were instructed to go to the loading dock of the Magic Box which is around the corner from the entrance to the Reef. When we got there we had to speak with a lady and give her our name to confirm our reservation. Once we checked in we were asked to stand on the dock with 6 other people who would end up being in our "group" during our trip through Lore. We had never met these people before but we introduced ourselves since we were all in this together. A few members of our group were a bit nervous as they had never done interactive theater before. The rest of the people in our group had experienced the Willows but hadn't done Creep LA: Entry. It was going to be an interesting 60 minutes.
After about a 10 minute wait we were instructed to lineup single file in front of a side door on the dock. We were asked to turn off our cell phones and given some other instructions we had to follow. We were also handed something that we had to keep with us at all times during our time at Lore. After the instructions, the door in front of us opened and we were asked to take the stairs down into the basement. The first room we came to was dark with just a single small table sitting in the corner. On the table was a light, some books and a sign that said "please wait here." Looking around the room you could tell there were some doors around us. Everyone kept wondering who or what was going to come out of one of the doors. After a couple of long minutes, the door on the far end of the room opened and slowly a shadowy figure stepped through it and into the light. It was someone we recognized from last year's Creep LA and this year's Willows. She looked at all of us, sat down in her chair and began to read to herself, glancing up at us every so often. It was a bit unnerving but done brilliantly. Finally she stood, grabbed a bowl of strawberries and walked over to one of our group members, asking her to try one, which the group member did very cautiously. After a few more minutes of reading a timer went off and it was time for us to move.
We were escorted down a dark, candle-lit hallway. What happened from there I cannot disclose or we'd give away too much information. For the next 45 minutes we traveled from room to room with different tales from the Lore series playing out in front of us. In good old Creep style, we became part of each story, sometimes together as a group, sometimes on our own. When Creep LA states that this is a fully immersive experience, they mean it. They get inside your head, wanting you to believe this is all real. In the end, you begin to question yourself. You begin to doubt that this is all make believe. It's a wild hour long ride that when it ends, as creepy and dark and twisted and crazy as the ride was, you are sad it is over. You wish you could have another hour or two to explore these stories and dig deeper into their beginnings and learn more about their endings.
This year's experience is without a doubt the best experience we have ever had. When we walked out of Creep LA: Entry last year, we were blown away by what we had just experienced. We had never done anything like it. Lore takes it to a whole new level. The cast that tells these stories every 10 minutes for several hours a night could not be stronger. From the moment you encounter the lovely Jannica Olin in the first room to the moment you exit Lore an hour later, every single actor brings their all every moment you are with them. The passion and energy they bring to their characters is something very rarely seen at an event like this. They are truly special. Major kudos to the entire cast.
We cannot stress enough to go get your tickets now. Every night and every time slot will sell out. This is not a show to be missed. If you can only do one thing this year, make it Creep LA: Lore. You will not be disappointed.
As for the Producers, writers, directors, choreographers, lighting and sound techs, they have all done a brilliant job with this year's production. Congratulations to the creator Justin Fix and his team including J.T. Swierczek, Daniel Montgomery, Fiona Rene, David Ruzicka and Stephanie Turek. They are such a talented group of people whose sick and twisted minds bring these stories to life right before our eyes. But not only are they wonderful at what they do, they are all amazing people.